valours

Valour, with the plural form valours in British English, is the quality of courage or bravery shown in the face of danger or difficulty. It denotes sustained or conspicuous courage rather than mere nerve, and is often linked to actions under risk, such as combat, search-and-rescue, or protection of others.

Valour derives from Old French valour, from Latin valor. In English, the spelling valour is common in British usage; the American form is valor, whose plural is valors and which is sometimes used as a near-synonym.

Throughout history, valour has been celebrated in military honors, poetry, and philosophy. Descriptions of acts of valour appear in chronicles, and numerous awards for conspicuous bravery are designed to recognize it in armed forces and civilian contexts.

Ethical discussions frame valour as a virtue that may involve self-sacrifice, restraint, and duty, rather than reckless risk, and it is often evaluated in relation to the context and consequences of the act.

Usage notes: valour is almost exclusively a positive appraisal; the plural valours is used when referring to multiple acts or to acts by different individuals. In everyday modern prose, bravery or courage is more common than valour.

See also: bravery, courage, heroism, chivalry.